Sam Allardyce claims Everton’s history is “far greater” than that of former club Newcastle United.

The under-pressure Toffees manager has angered Everton fans in recent weeks with comments about the “expectations” of supporters on the blue half of Merseyside.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the 63-year-old will be replaced at the end of the season, even though he looks set to guide the Toffees to survival and has another year to run on his current deal.

But with Everton having lavished close to £200million on transfer fees this season, their current position of 11th place in the table - plus the unadventurous style of play Allardyce has adopted - means a significant proportion of Toffees supporters appear keen for Allardyce to depart this summer.

Everton manager Sam Allardyce (Image: PA)

Allardyce has repeatedly compared Everton with former clubs Newcastle and West Ham United, and these latest remarks from a man who was sacked by the Magpies just halfway into his first campaign on Tyneside in 2007/08 will not go down well on Tyneside.

“Every club’s fans have a lot of passion and the history of Everton is far greater than Newcastle and West Ham, but every fans has great demands and when there are big crowds the demand is bigger. That’s what it’s all about,” Allardyce said during his pre-match Press conference ahead of Everton’s clash with Brighton and Hove Albion at Goodison Park on Saturday, as reported by The Liverpool ECHO.

“For me, Everton is completely different from Newcastle and West Ham. It was just a comparison. It wasn’t anything other than that. If you don’t play as well as they [supporters] expect you to play, they show their disapproval.

“The ambition at Everton is different to Newcastle and different to West Ham but if you don’t play as well as they expect you to play and don’t entertain they show their disapproval and that’s what you have to deal with as a manager.

“Our fans at home have been fantastic since I have been here. I think they’ve got behind the team even when they’ve not been playing too well and helped them along the way to get a result.

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“Certainly in the last two home games they have been fantastic - and since I’ve been here, of course.”

These remarks come less than a week after Allardyce initially compared the expectation of Everton supporters to those at West Ham and Newcastle.

Since departing St James’ Park, Allardyce has repeatedly cited what he perceives to be the unrealistic expectations of Newcastle fans as the reason why he failed on Tyneside - something which has understandably irked United supporters.

“The pressure at Everton is the same as Newcastle and West Ham, but they’ve won a lot more in past years here,” Allardyce said last week.

“But there’s the same at Newcastle and West Ham. They have lots of fans that want to see the club win things and Everton are the same. You have to try and build a team to get success back.

“At this moment in time that would be writing this season off by getting safe and making sure you’re in a better position to achieve something next season, like European football again or a cup final.